Sublime Silliness At Toad's Place

August 18, 2005|By KENNETH PARTRIDGE; Special to the Courant

Anyone who thinks cartoons are only good for teaching youngsters how to whack each other with anvils and frying pans should have been at Toad's Place in New Haven Tuesday night. They would have seen the rock 'n' roll ramifications of old-school animation.

Of the four bands on the bill, only the first, Time Again, lacked an obvious counterpart in the cartoon world, instead drawing its inspiration from `` ... And Out Come the Wolves''-era Rancid. Still, its Mohawks and tattoos were colorful enough to fit in with what was to follow.

Hailing proudly from planet Earth -- well, California, actually --the Phenomenauts performed in retro-futuristic space-cadet outfits befitting some third-rate '60s sci-fi cartoon. Mixing punk, surf and rockabilly, the band somehow figured out a way combine the organic thump of an upright bass with the eeriness of a Moog synthesizer.

On ``Rocket Roll,'' the 'Nauts turned up the echo and let their '50s influences blast through. Midway through his solo, guitarist Corporal Joe Bot -- wearing a metal headpiece like some robot from ``The Outer Limits'' -- suddenly switched to harmonica, leaving singer Commander Angel Nova to reach around his back and finish the old-school riffage.

Relying less on gimmicks, more on the audience's love for the Ramones and the Donnas, the Eyeliners recalled a punk-rock version of Josie and the Pussycats with their set. On originals such as ``Destroyer'' and ``Broke My Heart,'' as well as a surprisingly good cover of When in Rome's '80s hit ``The Promise,'' the group snapped into action with all the style and harmless fun of a switchblade comb.

The headlining Aquabats proved splashiest of all, though, playing in teal spandex superhero outfits complete with eye masks and cowls.

Aside from synth and occasional saxophone, the California quintet doesn't add much novelty to its pop-punk and ska tunes; instead, it saves its creativity for onstage battles with foam-rubber monsters and goofy, pre-taped TV commercials that play during breaks in the action.

Of course, the only enemy that stood any chance Tuesday night was the voices inside audience members' heads (particularly those older than 18) reminding them of the sheer silliness of what they were witnessing. For most, however, Captain Cynical was thwarted, leaving the night safe for plenty of biff, bam and pow!